Apparatus for alarming the outbreak of fire



' Jun ($29,191.37. [v C.HCJFFBAUER APPARATUS FOR ALARMING THE OUTBREAK OF'FIRE Filed Nov. 21, i934 fly. 4

Patented June 29, 1937 UNITED STATES APPARATUS FOR ,ALARMING 'rnn oU'r- BREAK or FIRE Carl Hofibauer, Hamburg, Germany Application November 21, 1934, Serial No. 754,186

In Germany August 24, 1933 Claims. (Cl. 169-16) The known fire alarmsystems use either electrical fire alarms, which are worked by fuse closures, or the so-called smoke alarms having pipes connecting the rooms to be protected with the observation-station, by which the smoke is made visible at the latter, indicating thereby the outbreak of fire. In the case of electrical fire alarm devices the alarm is caused by an inadmissible rising of temperature, and in the case of m the so called smoke-alarms by the smoke usually arising from the fire. The electrical fire alarms serve merely for indicating the fire and require a special, separate device for extinguishing the same. The pipes of the smoke alarms are used simultaneously for indicating as well as for extinguishing the fire. But the smoke alarm has the disadvantage not to be applicable to all rooms, as e. g. to passenger rooms, smoking saloons and rooms on board of ships wherein much smoke or dust is normally produced, because even without an outbreak of fire, there would be produced smoke or dust at all times in sufiicient quantities to cause a false alarm.

The disadvantages mentioned above are avoided in device of the present invention, accordingto which the outbreak of fire is indicated by the change of pressure taking place in the pipes; further, the pipes areemployed simultaneously for extinguishing the fire with the advantage that V even in the case of connection with several indicating rooms, the room in danger only is provided with extinguishing means. The combined fire alarm and extinguishing device consists e. g., of a pipe-system, in which every indicating pipe is led from the room to be protected to the observation station, e. g., to the bridge ending there in an air-tight chamber with a transparent window,

with the effect that pipe conduit and indicating chamber are permanently under a definedpres sure. These pipes are closed at their ends to-' wards the room to be protected by a closing device, which is to be influenced by temperature,

kept e. g., by a fuse closure. The apparatus can be employed equally for still-standing as well as moving rooms, by land and on ships, therefore also for air-ships etc.

In the smoke indicating chamber an easily movable flap is applied to the nozzle at the upper end 01' the pipe and the interior of the fire 5 indicating chamber is permanently kept under a defined overor underpressure (compared with the room to be protected) by a ventilator or an air-pump.

In case in one of the connected rooms an m- 65 admissible rising of temperature is caused by fire,

the fuse closure melts and the closure is thrown off, e. g., by a, spring pressing thereupon, and the pipe is opened herewith. In this moment the pressure in the indicating pipes is altered, whereby an optical, acoustic or mechanical device is 5 influenced, e. g.,. a flap applied to the nozzle at the end of the particular indicating pipe in the chamber, which hereby is moved. For alarm the nozzle in the chamber may be formed as a whistle, which causes the watchman to notice in the fire alarm chamber which indicating pipe has caused the alarm, made visiblee. g., by the opened flap. Instead of an acoustic indication by whistles built within it is also possible toclose an electrical contact by the movement of the nozzle-flap, whereby one or several alarm-bells or horns are sounded. After the place of the fire has been found out in this way, it is possible e. g. to connect the pipe-conduit of a carbonic acid (CO2) battery with the corresponding indicating pipe and to begin and accomplish the extinction from outside. I

If the carbonic acid battery is connected with the indicating conduit the extinguishing means, in this case the carbonic acid, is getting out only at the place, where the inadmissible rising of temperature has occurred, because only this closure has opened. Therefore there is no difl'iculty whatever to unite several alarm-openings provided with fuse closures with a common alarm 33 pipe. E; g., on board of a ship all cabins of a deck between two fire bulkheads could be in connection with a single alarm pipe.

It is further possible to introduce water instead of extinguishing gas into the pipe-conduit; in this case it is'appropriate to providea waterpipe of greater diameter connected to the collecting pipe conduit of the diverse extinguishing pipes with-a common alarm pipe.

If extinguishing gas is introduced, this fills 4O naturally the whole room smothering the fire at the same time, but in employing water a device is necessary at the outlet-opening,- which distributes the water in the best possible way over the whole room, in a similar manner as it is 45 known in the sprinkler-device.

The invention is schematically shown in the accompanying drawing by way of example.

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view in plan of a part of a ships hull equipped with such an apparatus;

Figure 2 is an enlarged view in side elevation of a portion of the' apparatus shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken substantially on line XX of Figure 2; and

Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional view of a part of the ceiling of a chamber illustrating one form of fusible closure and the mounting thereof.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in the accompanying drawing, fusible closures I are provided in the various rooms at the ends of pipes 2 which open into a common pipe 3.- The fusible closures I are preferably of the form and mounted-in the manner as shown in Figure 4 of the drawing but any well known type may be utilized.

The fusible closure consists of the simplest form of a pipe end, the closure thereof being formed by a plate which is held against flanges of'the pipe end and consists of very low-fusing material. This material is compact at ordinary temperature and shuts off the pipe air tight. However, the metal plate fuses as soon as the room temperature exceeds a certain temperature which is desired for the individualcase. Owing to the fusing operation, the closure is loosened.

and the pipe end released. The closure may have the form of a plate similar to the cover for closing a can. Such metals are known, for example, for certain temperatures, by the name of Wood metals (fusing point 60). By any desired admixtures of low-fusing materials such as tin etc., alloys having any desired low-fusing point may be obtained"which are compact at ordinary temperature.

The pipe 3- opens into an alarm chamber 4 having a transparent front and also communicates by means of a pipe 5 with a carbonic acid battery 6, suitable valves being provided so that thepipe 3 may be connected to either the alarm chamber or the battery.

Other pipes I, B, 9 and III, in the same manner as the pipe 3, open into the alarm chamber 4,

' have similar connections to the carbonic acid battery 6 and each connects to the pipes 2 located, for example, in a separate chamber between two adjacent fire-proof bulkheads. The chambers are, of course, communicating by means of the usual doors but as these are usually closed each pipe serves to give prompt andaccurate indication of a fire in the chamber to which it connects.

An air pump III, which may operate continuously or be provided with conventional control means whereby it will operate only in response to pressure conditions in the alarm chamber 4 serves to maintain a reduced pressure in the chamber 4 and consequently in the pipes 2, 3, I, I, 9 and Ill.

At the end of each of these pipes, within the chamber 4, is provided a hinged indicating closure I! which normally rests in a horizontal position almost closing the pipe end. Conventional contact making' means is operated by opening of the closure I3 to operate the usual electrical alarm I2. Upon fusing of one or more of the closures I, due to change of pressure within the pipes 2, 3 and the chamber 4, the closure II is caused to move to open position. Such movement results in a visible indication as well as an acoustical alarm.

As shown, the air pump I I, as soon as a closure I gives way, causes a rush of air from the particular chamber into the observation chamber 4, thus opening the closure I! to give a visibleindication of fire, giving a second visible indication by the character of the air coming from the pipe and causing an acoustical alarm. The same results, except the visible indication given bythe I character of the air emerging from the pipe, can be obtained by providing each pipe with a signal carrying inwardly opening closure and utilizing a blower instead of the exhaust pump II.

In either case an air pressure different from that in the ship or building is maintained in the pipes and in the chamber 4 and the difference in this pressure, resulting from fusing of one or. more closures I, causes immediate indication of fire and its general location.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and useful is:

1. Apparatus for giving warning of the outbreak of a fire consisting of a plurality of indicating pipes extending into rooms to be protected characterized by the fact that each of said pipes is provided at the end extending into said rooms with a closure arranged to be rendered ineffective when subject to fire temperatures, the opposite end of each of said pipes extending into an enclosure, and each last named end being provided with a device for indicating the outbreak of fire, means communicating with said enclosure for maintaining in said pipes and enclosure- 9. fluid at a pressure different from that prevailing in the rooms to be protected, said indicating device being rendered operative by a flow of said fluid occasioned by said closure being rendered ineffective and a valve controlled means communicating with each of said indicating pipes adapted to supply fire extinguishing medium thereto.

2. Apparatus for giving warning of the outbreak of a fire consisting of a plurality of indicating pipes extending into rooms to be protected each of said pipes being provided at the and extending into said rooms with a fusible closure arranged to be rendered ineffective when subject to fire temperatures, the opposite end of each of said pipes extending into an enclosure, and each last named end being provided with a device for indicatingv the outbreak of fire, means communicating with said enclosure for maintaining in said pipes and enclosure a. fluid at a pressure different from that prevailing in the rooms to be protected, said indicating device being rendered operative by a flow of said fluid occasioned by said closure being rendered ineffective and a valve controlled means communicating with each of said indicating pipes adapted to 5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, whereinthe indicating device provided for the ends of the conduits within the enclosure constitutes flaps, said indicating flaps carrying alarm circuit contacts.

CARL HOFFBAUER. 

